Trey Hendrickson Makes BIG Donation To Bengals Player's Charitable Fund Following Free-Agent Payday

Bengals fans may not have been very happy to see Trey Hendrickson leave for a division rival in Baltimore, but they will love what his new contract has helped him do in the weeks since. Hendrickson has donated $250,000 to The Cincy Hat Foundation after a playful prodding from Cincy Hat founder and Bengals center Ted Karras.

Following the news of Hendrickson signing with Baltimore on March 11, Ted Karras took to X, tweeting, “Only way we forgive Trey is if he donates $1M to The Cincy Hat Foundation.”

A BIG Response

Oct 26, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) runs out to the field before the game against the New York Jets at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Well, he did donate, which was another strong symbolization of Hendrickson's character and overall love for Cincinnati, despite contract negotiations not working out with the Bengals front office.

"Ted's tweet may have helped kick this one off, but Alisa and I are truly proud to support The Cincy Hat Foundation and the incredible work Ted continues to do for adults with disabilities. Regardless of where I play, I will always be grateful for the opportunity to support the impact The Cincy Hat is making for families," Hendrickson said in a press release.

Karras is thrilled about the donation, adding more to a charitable arsenal that just broke ground on a new housing project for disabled adults in the Madisonville neighborhood of Cincinnati.

"Trey has been a great friend and teammate as well as an exceptional player for us for many years. Although he has moved on to our bitter rival, his generous donation will forever help house adults with disabilities in Cincinnati. I'm incredibly grateful to Trey and his wife, Alisa. We will see you on Sunday," Karras said in the release.

The Cincy Hat Foundation has been a great success since Karras got it started in 2022, off a prompt from Cincinnati Bengals Talk's Elise Jesse.

It's grown like wildfire since then and has helped a bunch of disabled adults live better lives.

"The Cincy Hat Origin Story begins with Bengals center Ted Karras, who turned a simple idea for team-themed merchandise into a powerful community movement," the organization's website states. "What started as a symbol of team pride quickly grew into a mission to bring people together and give back to the city of Cincinnati. Through the Cincy Hat initiative, Ted has shown how one idea—and one hat—can unite a community and make a lasting impact."

Check out the tweet that got all this rolling below:

Only way we forgive Trey is if he donates $1M to The @CincyHat Foundation. https://t.co/kt4iSh9a5C
— Teddy Karras (@_teddy_k) March 11, 2026

Karras sent a followup, thank-you tweet Monday.

Respect brother. Thank you. Your generosity will house adults with disabilities for generations. I’ll see you out there, twice a year. Hopefully Thursday Night in Cincy this time… https://t.co/RGi2ThtKZU
— Teddy Karras (@_teddy_k) March 30, 2026

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